Sharing the World through Fulbright

Elizabeth Reid (MAIPS '11) worked on combating the illicit trade of antiquities in Jordan as part of her Fulbright Fellowship.

January 22, 2013

For Elizabeth Reid (MAIPS '11) the most meaningful outcome of her Fulbright experience was an unexpected one.

"One of my Fulbright colleagues made the observation that the Fulbright program is not about saving the world, but about sharing the world," Elizabeth said. "I think this has been particularly apt in my case."

For Elizabeth that means sharing the stories of the people she met during her Fulbright work which involved helping the Jordanian government to stem illegal pilfering of precious antiquities from the nation's archeological sites.

"My year in Jordan allowed me the opportunity to connect with amazing individuals," she said. "I was privileged to share my experiences with them, and look forward to bringing their stories back to the United States."

During her Fulbright Fellowship, Elizabeth also worked with the Iraq Operations Centre within the United Nations Office for Project Services on a short-term contract. Her duties included a civil society law and reconciliation project for Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government, and a project related to the recently established Zaa’tari Camp for Syrian refugees near the northern border of Jordan.

"My work with the UN proved so invaluable in increasing my knowledge of the region as a whole and Jordan’s role in the current conflict that I stayed in country beyond my Fulbright grant to continue my work with UNOPS."

Elizabeth says that her time at the Monterey Institute gave her the background and skills needed to be successful in Jordan.

"At MIIS, I learned the fundamentals of policy development and analysis, giving me a multidisciplinary framework for sophisticated analysis," she said. "Within my concentration, I was exposed to complex problems of international trade and development in emerging markets, and given the opportunity to engage in debate and conflict resolution on issues that I would later confront head-on in Jordan."

Elizabeth also says that the support she received from the MIIS community during the Fulbright application process was "unparalleled."

"From encouraging the very tentative seed of a proposal, to reading numerous drafts of my research design and personal statement, to writing letters of recommendation, to a preparatory interview, the faculty, administration, staff and students of MIIS were incredibly supportive and willing to help in any way they could."